8 Warning Signs You’re Emotionally And Mentally Exhausted

Sometimes life starts to spin out of control and it’s tough for us to keep up. Things that once seemed insignificant are suddenly annoying and we find ourselves snapping at others even when they’ve done nothing wrong. This may be a result of mental and emotional exhaustion, and identifying the key warning signs may help you decide if you need to stop, rest, and recharge.

Keep reading to find out if you’re suffering from a burnout!

1. You Lack Motivation

Once upon a time, you were ready to take on the world. Now you can’t seem to muster up the motivation to even get going and your work starts to pile up.

When this happens, it’s tempting to try to push through and work even harder. What you actually need, though, is to do the opposite. Take some time to rest and rejuvenate. When it’s time for inspiration to strike, it will find you.

2. You Are Easily Upset

Mental and emotional exhaustion means that you feel everything more intensely. At any other time, an offhand comment or joke might roll right off your back. Now, the least little thing breaks through your defenses and makes you want to hide from the world.

Don’t think that you have to “toughen up.” If you need an emotional rest, take it. It’s not always easy to give yourself a break, but it will be far better to do that than to break down entirely.

3. You Cry at the Drop of a Hat

Just like your feelings are right at the surface, so are your tears. Even if you’re not usually a crier, others’ words and actions start to hit you right where it hurts.

When you’re completely exhausted, all the stresses that you encounter feel more intense. They build up inside you, and eventually, all your system can do to cleanse itself is cry.

4. You Have Frequent Anxiety Attacks

As exhaustion causes your little stresses to feel bigger, you begin to feel overwhelmed easily. You find yourself having anxiety attacks on a daily basis, and it can get scary.
Try not to get carried away by the fear. Remember, it’s a signal that you need to slow down and give yourself some time to cope. Take some alone time and figure out what you need that you’re not getting.

5. Irritation is the New Normal

The less in control you feel, the more irritated you get. Waves of irritation can give you a drive that feels like power and strength, but you feel powerless in your ability to handle daily life. So instead, you conclude that you have no business dealing with the world and you start to retreat.

Be gentle with yourself. It’s easy to give yourself a hard time when you don’t feel like you can do anything or be with anyone, but your mind is sending you the signal to make time for yourself.

6. You Can’t Sleep

One of the most frustrating things about exhaustion is that even though you don’t want to do anything, you can’t sleep either. Your thoughts swirl around in your head and you can’t quiet them long enough to fall asleep. You become more and more tired, and wakeful nights become one more thing to stress over.

7. You Feel Nauseated or Dizzy

Science tells us that exhaustion affects your whole body. When people are dangerously tired, their bodies are just too worn out to function normally and they start to feel constantly dizzy and nauseous. If this happens to you, it’s a major red flag that you need a break.

8. You Start to Go Numb

If you’ve been burning out for long enough, all of those troublesome feelings start to go away. In fact, you start to not feel anything at all. You’ve completely given up hope, so you just zone out.
This is one of the most serious warning signs of exhaustion. Any time you feel yourself starting to feel nothing at all, take a break. Find yourself and bring yourself back.